.jpg)
Monday, March 25, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Farmers descend on Jantar Mantar with a slew of demands
They vow to stay put in Delhi till their demands are met
LIVELIHOOD ISSUE:Farmers stage a protest inNew Delhi on Monday.— Photo: Rajeev Bhatt
Reeling under price rise and dipping returns for their produce, thousands of farmers from all over the country poured into the capital on Monday to start a mahapanchayat, demanding, among other things, a farmers’ income commission to guarantee a minimum livelihood income.
Opposing diversion of farmland for other purposes, they wanted the government to impose a moratorium on land acquisition and announce a ‘fair and remunerative price’ for their produce, including a profit above the cost price, to help them lead a life of dignity. Furthermore, Parliament should meet at a special session to discuss suicides among farmers.
However, it appears the farmers lack the voice and the lobby to make themselves heard as none from the government approached them, and by the end of the day, the mahapanchayat declared that farmers would “stay put” at Jantar Mantar till their demands were met.
Kisan annadata hai aur woh bhookh se mar raha hai [Farmers provide food, yet they are dying of hunger],” said Susheela, a woman from Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh. Splaying her fingers one by one to count farm inputs that were getting out of reach because of high prices, she said it was getting difficult day by day for farmers to survive. “That is why farmers are committing suicides,” added Sugani from Gorakhpur.
The story was the same from participants of the mahapanchayat, organised by the Bhartiya Kisan Union and the National Alliance of People’s Movement, under the Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Movements.
The meeting was addressed, among others, by Rakesh Tikait, Yudhvir Singh, Medha Patkar, Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, Vijay Jawandhiya, Yogendra Yadav and representatives from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
“We are looking for the government. Where is the government? On March 8, 2011, we met the Prime Minister. He said he would get back in 25 days, but did not. What is our fault? Is it that we are feeding the country and have produced surplus. If our demands are not met, farmers will take an agriculture holiday. The government will be responsible for the consequences,” Mr. Tikait said.
“A bottle of water costs Rs. 18-Rs. 20 a litre, but we get merely Rs. 15 for a kilo of milk. It does not even cover the cost of feed for our cattle, leave alone our livelihood,” argued Prakash Singh of Sangrur.
The mahapanchayat said in a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that it was the government’s responsibility to improve the net incomes of farmers, tenant cultivators and farm workers. Besides fair and remunerative price, the government should come out with price compensation and crop insurance schemes and find out ways of stopping suicides among farmers.
Asserting that food and farmers could not be treated as a “commodity,” the mahapanchayat opposed futures trading in food commodities that led to price volatility, free trade in agriculture and foreign direct investment in retail which would imperil the livelihoods of small farmers, small retailers and street-vendors.
Land Acquisition Bill pro-corporate: Farmers
New Delhi, March 19
It has been three days since the farmers gathered at Parliament Street for a 'mahapanchayat' under the banner of Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers Movements - the Bhartiya Kisan Union, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and the National Alliance of Peoples Movements here.
Farmers stage a sit-in for their demands at Parliament Street in New Delhi on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
New Delhi, March 19 It has been three days since the farmers gathered at Parliament Street for a 'mahapanchayat' under the banner of Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers Movements - the Bhartiya Kisan Union, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and the National Alliance of Peoples Movements here.
Farmers stage a sit-in for their demands at Parliament Street in New Delhi on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
Farmers end protest after meeting Central ministers
The farmers protest against the draft land acquisition bill was called off on Wednesday evening after a meeting with a group of Central ministers.
The government agreed to constitute committees to look into demands of the farmers demonstrating in Delhi since Monday under the banner of Kishan Khel Mazdoor Mahapanchayat with a definite timelines.
The breakthrough was arrived at a meeting of 19 delegates of the mahapanchayat with six central ministers including agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and Rural Development minister Jairam Ramesh.
“This is the first step in the process of realising better livelihoods for farmers; the content of the demands would be discussed in detail once the processes for the same, including the time lines get fixed tomorrow”, said Yudhvir Singh of the mahapanchayat.
The farmer’s delegation will be meeting Ramesh on Thursday morning to fix the deadline for various committees to be constituted.
Rakesh Tikait, national spokesperson of Bharat Kisan Union, said that if the government goes back on the process initiated today a decision on the next action will be taken at Kisan Kumbh in Haridwar.
Centre to set up panel to study demands of agitating farmers
Decision comes after meeting between Ministers and farmers’ representatives
BJP president Rajnath Singh interacting with Rakesh Tikait, son of the late BKU leader Mahender Singh Tikait, on the third day of farmers’ stir in New Delhi on Wednesday. The agitation was later called off.– PHOTO: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
The Centre on Wednesday decided to form a panel which will look into the major demands of farmers with regard to FDI in retail affecting small farmers, keeping agriculture out of Free Trade Agreements and providing ‘fair and remunerative’ price for farm produce.
The decision came after a two hour-long meeting between a group of Ministers from related departments headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and representatives of the agitating farmers under the banner of Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Movements.
On the third day of the farmers’ agitation here, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh formed a committee of concerned ministries headed by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to meet farmers’ representatives on their demands. Besides Mr. Pawar, the committee comprised Jairam Ramesh, K.V. Thomas, Srikant Jena, Namo Narain Meena and D. Purandeswari.
After the meeting Mr. Pawar told journalists that a “smaller panel” will look into their grievance that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail will be unfavourable for small and marginal farmers and hit livelihoods.
The Minister said that the committee, which will also have farmers’ representatives, will also look into their demand for fair and remunerative price for farm produce as against the minimum support price set by the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices. It will also look at their demand that agriculture be taken out of the Free Trade Agreements that the government enters into with other countries so that there is no dumping of farm produce in the country.
“For their concerns on the Land Acquisition Bill, they will separately meet Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh,” Mr. Pawar said.
Asked about their demand for a Farmers Income Guarantee Act to ensure a minimum income for farmers, Mr. Pawar said, “these are the three demands we have agreed to.”
Agitation called off
“The meeting with the government is the first step in the process,” farmers leaders Rakesh Tikait and Yudhvir Singh said. They later called off the agitation.
Earlier, BJP leader Rajnath Singh addressed the farmers and assured them that if his party comes to power he will seriously look into their demand for assured minimum income and crop insurance.
Chairman of the Standing Committee on Agriculture Basudev Acharya while addressing farmers said that FDI in retail will not benefit either farmers or traders. He said there should be a separate budget on agriculture.
Thousands of farmers from all parts of the country were on dharna since Monday to press their demands.
Committees with Farmer Representatives to be Formed to Discuss Major Issues Concerning Farmers
भारत सरकार के कृषि मत्रालय द्वारा कल देर रात किसानो के मुद्दों पर समिति गठन की सुचना पत्र सूचना कार्यालय भारत सरकार की वेबसाईट पर प्रेस नोट के द्वारा जरी कर दी गयी ...
| किसानों की समस्याओं पर विचार के लिए समितियां गठित | ||
| भारतीय किसान आंदोलन की समन्वय समिति के प्रतिनिधियों ने कृषि मंत्री श्री शरद पवार और ग्राम विकास मंत्री श्री जयराम रमेश से व्यापक विचार -विमर्श किया। उन्होंने उपभोक्ता मामलों के मंत्री प्रोफेसर के.वी. थॉमस, वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग राज्य मंत्री श्रीमती डी. पुरन्देश्वरी, उर्वरक राज्य मंत्री डॉ. एस.के. जेना और वित्त राज्य मंत्री श्री एन.एन. मीणा से भी 20 मार्च, 2013 को चर्चा की। ये किसान दिल्ली के जंतर मंतर पर 18 मार्च, 2013 से डेरा डाले हुए थे। लगभग तीन घंटे चले विचार-विमर्श के बाद फैसला किया गया कि तीन महत्वपूर्ण मुद्दों पर विचार के लिए समितियों का गठन किया जाए। ये विषय हैं - खेती की लागत और न्यूनतम समर्थन मूल्य तय करने के तौर- तरीकों की जांच, उदार मुक्त व्यापार समझौतों के अंतर्गत कृषि उपज की बाहरी देशों द्वारा अत्यधिक सप्लाई (डंपिंग) की आशंका और मल्टीब्रांड रिटेल लागू होने पर प्रत्यक्ष विदेशी निवेश से किसानों की रक्षा के उपाय। फैसला किया गया कि उक्त हसमिति में किसान प्रतिनिधियों को शामिल किया जाएगा। ये समितियां किसान हितों की रक्षा करने के लिए सरकार को उपयुक्त सुझाव दे सकेंगी। http://pib.nic.in/newsite/
|
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
किसान महापंचायत के तीसरे दिन धरने पर बढती किसानो की संख्या एवं विपक्ष के समर्थन के कारण सरकार के मंत्री समूह ने किसान पर्तिनिधिमंडल से वार्ता की ,कहा सभी मुद्दों पर समिति का होगा गठन कल किसान नेता 12बजे फिर करेगे वार्ता ....भाकियू
किसान महापंचायत के तीसरे दिन धरने पर बढती किसानो की संख्या एवं विपक्ष के समर्थन के कारण सरकार के मंत्री समूह ने किसान पर्तिनिधिमंडल से वार्ता की ,कहा सभी मुद्दों पर समिति का होगा गठन कल किसान नेता 12बजे फिर करेगे वार्ता ....भाकियू
भाजपा अध्यक्ष का
आश्वासन – सत्ता में आने पर किसानों को सुनिश्चित आय
मार्च
२०, नई
दिल्ली : संसद मार्ग पर आज तीसरे दिन भी भारतीय किसान यूनियन, कर्णाटक
राज्य रैयत संघ, जन आंदोलनों का राष्ट्रीय समन्वय की अगुआई में किसान खेत मजदूर महापंचायत
जारी रहा | किसानों की टुकडिया आज दिन भर दिल्ली के आस पास के प्रदेश से भी आई | हजारों की
संख्या में बैठे किसानों ने अपनी पांच सूत्री मांग को जारी रखते हुए आज विभिन्न
राजनैतिक पार्टी के प्रतिनिधिओं को आमंत्रित किया |
भाजपा अध्यक्ष राजनाथ सिंह ने किसानों को संबोधित करते
हुए कहा की उन्हें देश में चल रहे भूमि अधिग्रहण और किसानों की स्थिति मालूम है | उनकी पार्टी
अगर सत्ता में आती है तो किसानों को सुनिश्चित आय तय करेगी, ताकि किसान
भूखा ना रहे | किसान आंदोलन ने देश के अन्य आंदोलनों के साथ हाथ मिला कर एक ऐतिहासिक कदम
बढ़ाया है और यह तय किया है की किसी भी तरह की भूमि अधिग्रहण का विरोध करेंगे | सरकार का कोई
हक़ नहीं की वह किसानों की ज़मीन का अधिग्रहण को कर के कंपनियों को निजी मुनाफे के
लिए दे | आज कृषि क्षेत्र में गंभीर संकट है और किसान आत्महत्या को मजबूर है इसलिए यह
जरूरी है की उन्हें भी एक आय की गारंटी हो,
जैसे की हर सरकारी कामगार को है | क्यों, पूरे देश को
खाना खिलने वाला किसान भूखा रहे ? यह मांग करते हुए भारतीय किसान यूनियन के साथी बैठे है धरने पर | उत्तर प्रदेश, मध्य प्रदेश, पंजाब, कर्नाटक, हरयाणा, दिल्ली और
अन्य प्रदेश के किसान लगातार यही मांग लगा रहे हैं |
कम्युनिस्ट पार्टी के लोक सभा के सांसद बासुदेब
आचारिया ने धरने का समर्थन करते हुए कहा की किसानों की मांग जायज है | आज पुराने
अनुभवों के कारण, किसान किसी भी कीमत पर अपनी ज़मीन नहीं देना चाहता है | सरकार नए
कानून में निजी कंपनियों के लिए ज़मीन नहीं ले,
खेती की ज़मीन ना ले और सिर्फ एक कानून हो जो किसी भी
तरह के भू अधिग्रहण में लागू हो, आज के कानून में ९०% ज़मीन अधिग्रहणों पर यह कानून लागू नहीं होगा,
फिर उसी साम्राज्यवादी व्यवस्था को बनाये रखने का क्या
मतलब | आज सरकार बेतहाशा ज़मीन अधिग्रहण कर रही है,
जिससे देश की खाद्य सुरक्षा को खतरा हो गया है | विदेशी निवेश
के नाम पर वालमार्ट, मोंसंतो जैसे कंपनियों को देश में ला रही है जो की कृषि को अत्यंत ही महँगा
लेकिन घाटे का सौदा बना रही है और किसान और गरीब और गरीब होता जा रहा है | आज किसानों
को MSP ही नहीं बल्कि एक लाभकारी मूल्य चहिये |
कृषि का अलग बज़ट होना चहिये | सरकार की
नीति को बदलना होगा तभी जाके माहौल बदलेगा और हमारी लड़ाई वैसे ही होना होगा |
राकेश टिकैत ने कहा की पुराना भूमि अधिग्रहण कानून
रद्द होना ही चाहिए लेकिन नए कानून से किसानों को न्याय मिले तभी तो कोई बात होगी, नहीं तो लाखो
एकड़ ज़मीन किसानों के हाथ से रोज छीनती जा रही है |
हमें यह बिलकुल मंज़ूर नहीं है | नया कानून
विस्थापन को आगे बढ़ाएगा और उन्हें न्याय नहीं मिलेगा |
सरकार संसदीय समिति की मुख्य सुझावों को नहीं मान रही
है और झूठा अफवाह फैला रही है की हमने बहुत सुझाव मान लिया है | यह गलत है | समिति ने
खुले तौर पर कहा है की सरकार निजी कंपनियों के हितों के लिए दलाली का काम नहीं कर सकती
|
युधवीर सिंह ने कहा की हमारा आंदोलन तब तक जारी रहेगा
जब तक सरकार हमारी मांगे ना माने | यह किसानों की इज्जत और सम्मान से सर उठा कर जीने की है |
दिन में अन्य पार्टी के नेताओं ने आकार धरने का समर्थन
दिया और कहा की हम संसद में यह बात उठाएंगे और किसानों को न्याय मिलेगा | आज सभी दलों
की बैठक भूमि अधिग्रहण कानून पर नहीं हो पाई क्योंकि दलों मके एक सहमति नहीं हो पा
रही है |
किसान महापंचायत के तीसरे दिन सरकार के निमन्त्रण पर पंचायत के 19 सदसीय पर्तिनिधिमंडल ने मंत्री समूह से मिलकर ग्रामीण लोगो की आजीविका को बचाने की मांग की ,मंत्री समूह में शरद पंवार कृषि मंत्री , जयराम रमेश ग्रामीण विकास ,के .वी .थामस (खाद्य एवम उपभोक्ता मामले )श्रीकांत जैना ,डी .पुरंदरेश्वरी ,नमोनारायण मीणा (वित्त )सहित मंत्रालय के वरिष्ट अदिकारी भी मौजूद रहे ...
वार्ता 6बजे शाम से 8:30 तक कृषि भवन में हुयी ,वार्ता में सभी मुद्दों पर अलग-अलग समिति बनाने तथा समिति का सवरूप तय करने हेतु कल फिर 12 बजे वार्ता का समय तय किया गया ...वार्ता में राकेश टिकैत,युधवीर सिंह ,अजमेर सिंह लखोवाल ,जगदीश सिंह ,सुखदेव सिंह गिल ,चुक्की स्वामी ,नल गोंदर,मदुरेश ,कविता ,धर्मेन्द्र मलिक ,राजपाल शर्मा आदि उपस्थित रहे ...
अधिक जानकारी के लिए संपर्क करें : धर्मेन्द्र : ९२१९६९ ११६८
मधुरेश मधुरेश : ९८१८९०५३१६
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Farmers descend on Jantar Mantar with a slew of demands
They vow to stay put in Delhi till their demands are met
Reeling under price rise and dipping returns for their produce, thousands of farmers from all over the country poured into the capital on Monday to start a mahapanchayat, demanding, among other things, a farmers’ income commission to guarantee a minimum livelihood income.
Opposing diversion of farmland for other purposes, they wanted the government to impose a moratorium on land acquisition and announce a ‘fair and remunerative price’ for their produce, including a profit above the cost price, to help them lead a life of dignity. Furthermore, Parliament should meet at a special session to discuss suicides among farmers.
However, it appears the farmers lack the voice and the lobby to make themselves heard as none from the government approached them, and by the end of the day, the mahapanchayat declared that farmers would “stay put” at Jantar Mantar till their demands were met.
Kisan annadata hai aur woh bhookh se mar raha hai [Farmers provide food, yet they are dying of hunger],” said Susheela, a woman from Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh. Splaying her fingers one by one to count farm inputs that were getting out of reach because of high prices, she said it was getting difficult day by day for farmers to survive. “That is why farmers are committing suicides,” added Sugani from Gorakhpur.
The story was the same from participants of the mahapanchayat, organised by the Bhartiya Kisan Union and the National Alliance of People’s Movement, under the Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Movements.
The meeting was addressed, among others, by Rakesh Tikait, Yudhvir Singh, Medha Patkar, Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, Vijay Jawandhiya, Yogendra Yadav and representatives from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Odisha Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
“We are looking for the government. Where is the government? On March 8, 2011, we met the Prime Minister. He said he would get back in 25 days, but did not. What is our fault? Is it that we are feeding the country and have produced surplus. If our demands are not met, farmers will take an agriculture holiday. The government will be responsible for the consequences,” Mr. Tikait said.
“A bottle of water costs Rs. 18-Rs. 20 a litre, but we get merely Rs. 15 for a kilo of milk. It does not even cover the cost of feed for our cattle, leave alone our livelihood,” argued Prakash Singh of Sangrur.
The mahapanchayat said in a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that it was the government’s responsibility to improve the net incomes of farmers, tenant cultivators and farm workers. Besides fair and remunerative price, the government should come out with price compensation and crop insurance schemes and find out ways of stopping suicides among farmers.
Asserting that food and farmers could not be treated as a “commodity,” the mahapanchayat opposed futures trading in food commodities that led to price volatility, free trade in agriculture and foreign direct investment in retail which would imperil the livelihoods of small farmers, small retailers and street-vendors.
PRESS
RELEASE
जल-जंगल-बीज-जमीन
हो किसानों के अधीन:
महापंचायत
के अंतर्गत लाखो की संख्या
में देश के किसान अपनी मांगो
के साथ संसद मार्ग पर दूसरे
दिन भी जमे हैं.
नयी
दिल्ली,
मार्च 19,
2013: किसान
महापंचायत के दूसरे दिन भी
आज संसद मार्ग पार लाखों की
संख्या में देश के किसान अपनी
मांगो के साथ डटे हुए हैं.
साथ हीं
साथ महापंचायत में भारतीय
किसान यूनियन के राष्ट्रीय
प्रवक्ता राकेश टिकैत ने घोषणा
की है कि जब तक सरकार किसानों
की मांगो को पूरी तरह से मान्य
नहीं करती तब तक किसान यहाँ
से नहीं उठेंगे.
विदित
हो कि भारतीय किसान आन्दोलन
समन्वयक समिति के तत्वाधान
में भारतीय किसान यूनियन,
कर्नाटक
राज्य रायतु संघ,
एन
ए पी एम,
राष्ट्रीय
किसान स्वराज आशा गठबन्धन के
साथ साथ पंजाब,
हरियाणा,
राजस्थान,
उत्तरप्रदेश,
कर्नाटक,
तमिलनाड,
आंध्र
प्रदेश,
मध्य
प्रदेश एवं केरल के किसान
लाखों की संख्या में कल दिनांक
18.03.2013
को
स्थानीय संसद मार्ग पार आयोजित
किसान महापंचायत में अपनी
मांगो के शामिल हुए.
कल
मुख्यतः भारतीय किसान यूनियन
के राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष नरेश
टिकैत,
राष्ट्रीय
प्रवक्ता राकेश टिकैत,
मेधा
पाटेकर,
कविता
कुरुगंती,
स्वामी
अग्निवेश,
युधवीर
सिंह,
अजमेर
सिंह लोखोवाल,
चुक्की
नन्जुन्दस्वामी,
चेल्लुमुथू,
पंकज
भूषण के साथ साथ कई किसान नेताओं
ने महापंचायत को संबोधित किया.
और
कल शाम तक सरकार ने जब सुध नहीं
ली तब यह महापंचायत विशाल धरने
में परिवर्तित हो गया,
जिस
कारण लगभग एक लाख किसान सारी
रात संसद मार्ग पार सोए रहे.
चौधरी
राकेश टिकैत के आह्वान पार
आज पुनः लाखों की संख्या में
किसान अपने अपने गाँवों से
इस् धरने में शामिल होने चल
पड़े है ताकि सरकार तक किसानों
की मांगों को पहुंचाई जा सके
और सरकार अन्न दाताओं की बात
मान सके.
किसान
नेता युधवीर सिंह ने कहा कि
सरकार की किसान विरोधी नीतियों
को समाप्त होना चाहिए और खाशकर
भूमि अधिग्रहण बिल में संसोधन,
किसानों
की आय की सुरक्षा,
किसानों
को उत्पादन का लाभकारी मूल्य
आदि पार केंद्र सरकार को अविलम्ब
सुनवाई करते हुए हल नोकालना
चाहिए.
राष्ट्रीय
अद्ध्यक्ष नरेश टिकैत ने कहा
कि हम किसान अन्न दाता हैं और
पूरे राष्ट्र को खिलते हैं
पार सरकार हमारी मांगो को बार
बार अनदेखी कर रही है.
अब
हम अपनी मांगो को पूरी करवाए
बगैर यहाँ से नहीं हटेंगे.
राष्ट्रीय
किसान स्वराज आशा गठबन्धन के
राष्ट्रीय सह संयोजक पंकज
भूषण ने कहा कि सरकार तो
बहुराष्ट्रीय कंपनियों के
इशारे पार चल रही और उसे इन
अन्न दाताओं को सुनने की फुर्सत
कहाँ है.
साथ
ही उन्होंने ने आहवान किया
कि सरकार अविलम्ब किसानों की
बात मने और संसदीय कृषि समिति
के परिवेदन पार अमल करते हुए
देश भर में जी एम बीजों का
प्रचार प्रसार बंद कर दे.
किसानों
की मुख्य मांगे हैं:
- किसानों के आय की सुरक्षा.
- भूमि अधिग्रहण बिल में आवश्यक संशोधन.
- खुला व्यापार समझौता रद्द हो.
- देश में जी एम बीजों का परीक्षण बंद हो. परंपरागत खेती, जैविक खेती पार बाल दिया जाये.
- किसान आय आयोग बनाये जाएँ आदि.
किसानों
को स्वामी अग्निवेश,
चुक्की,
कन्नयन
एवं कविता कुरुगंती ने भी
संबोधित किया.
किसानों
का कहना यह ही है की दो
वर्ष पहले सरकार ने कई वादे
हमसे किया लेकिन अद्द्यतन वो
पूरे नहीं हुए.
इस्
बार हम बिना प्रधान मंत्री
से मिले नहीं हटेंगे चाहे जो
हो जाये.
क्योंकि
सरकार गूंगी और बहरी भी है.
जल्द
यदि सरकार नहीं सुनेगी तब
हमारे ट्रेक्टर गांव से चलकर
दिल्ली को जाम करेंगे और तब
हीं सरकार के कानों तक बात जा
पाए.
धरने
में हजारों की संख्या में
महिलाओं ने भी शिरकत किया हुआ
है.
धरने
की अध्यक्षता अजमेर सिंह गिल
ने की.
अन्य
वक्ताओं में मुख्यतः अजमेर
सिंह लाखोवाल,
गुरुनाम
सिंह,
बलराम
लम्बरदार,
दीवान
चंद्र चौधरी,
जगदीश
सिंह,
शैला
मुथु,
विजय
वर्गी आदि ने की.
For
more information, contact: Dharmendar
Kumar: 9219691168; Kannaiyan: 9444989543; Ashlesha: 9900200771.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
राकेश टिकैत ने कहा कि सरकार किसानों की समस्याओं के प्रति गंभीर नहीं है।
फसलों के वाजिब मूल्य मिलने और किसान कर्ज माफी योजना में छूटे पात्र किसानों के कर्ज माफ करने सहित प्रमुख मुद्दों को लेकर किसान 18 मार्च को महापंचायत करेंगे। महापंचायत नई दिल्ली में आयोजित की जाएगी।
महापंचायत के बारे में जानकारी देते हुए भारतीय किसान यूनियन के राष्ट्रीय प्रवक्ता राकेश टिकैत ने संवाददाता सम्मेलन में कहा कि सरकार किसानों की समस्याओं के प्रति गंभीर नहीं है।
इसे देखते हुए भारतीय किसान यूनियन अपनी छह सूत्रीय कार्यक्रम, जिसमें भूमि अधिग्रहण बिल में संशोधन और उस पर श्वेत पत्र जारी करने, किसान आयोग के गठन, फसलों का उचित लाभकारी मूल्य, कर्ज माफी योजना में घोटाले की जांच और पात्र किसानों को योजना का लाभ आदि मुद्दे शामिल हैं, के लिए महापंचायत करेगी।
इस मौके पर भारतीय किसान यूनियन के पंजाब के अध्यक्ष अजमेर सिंह लोखावल और युद्धवीर सिंह भी उपस्थित थे। महापंचायत में उत्तर प्रदेश, पंजाब, मध्य प्रदेश, राजस्थान, तमिलनाडु आदि राज्यों के किसानों के भाग लेने की संभावना है।
महापंचायत के बारे में जानकारी देते हुए भारतीय किसान यूनियन के राष्ट्रीय प्रवक्ता राकेश टिकैत ने संवाददाता सम्मेलन में कहा कि सरकार किसानों की समस्याओं के प्रति गंभीर नहीं है।
इसे देखते हुए भारतीय किसान यूनियन अपनी छह सूत्रीय कार्यक्रम, जिसमें भूमि अधिग्रहण बिल में संशोधन और उस पर श्वेत पत्र जारी करने, किसान आयोग के गठन, फसलों का उचित लाभकारी मूल्य, कर्ज माफी योजना में घोटाले की जांच और पात्र किसानों को योजना का लाभ आदि मुद्दे शामिल हैं, के लिए महापंचायत करेगी।
इस मौके पर भारतीय किसान यूनियन के पंजाब के अध्यक्ष अजमेर सिंह लोखावल और युद्धवीर सिंह भी उपस्थित थे। महापंचायत में उत्तर प्रदेश, पंजाब, मध्य प्रदेश, राजस्थान, तमिलनाडु आदि राज्यों के किसानों के भाग लेने की संभावना है।
Bhartiya kisan union plan to descend on Delhi seeking fair price
source the hindu
They want a 50% profit on minimum support price, which should be set by agriculture varsities
Angry at not being heard, thousands of farmers will descend on the capital, under the banner of the Bhartiya Kisan Union and with the slogan karo ya maro, to demand a “fair and remunerative” price for their crops that will boost their income and help them cope with inflation.
They demand a 50 per cent profit on the minimum support price, which should be set by agriculture universities. “We want the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices [which sets the support prices] dismantled as it is working against the interests of farmers,” farmer leaders Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, Yudhvir Singh and Rakesh Tikait said at a press conference here on Monday.
Farmers from all over the country will gather at Jantar Mantar on March 18 for a sit-in, Mr. Lakhowal said.
The farmer leaders were particularly upset at the Commission having recommended a “freeze” on the minimum support price for wheat this year, pointing to high food stocks. Later a 10 per cent increase was given.
They demanded that the amended Land Acquisition Bill be passed in the current session of Parliament.
‘Deliberate delay’
“The passage of the bill is being deliberately delayed so that all farmers’ land that has to be acquired can be bought and farmers get a poor deal,” they alleged. There might be political differences over the bill, but the farmers did not want their land acquired for industry and colonisation.
“If at all the land is required for public purpose, the compensation to farmers should be on a par with the market rate, not the circle rate, and farmers or organisations representing them should be allowed to deal directly with the agency that acquires…[the land],” Mr. Yudhvir Singh said.
The leaders demanded that the government establish a pay commission that would set the minimum income for farmers. India’s free trade agreements with other countries should not include agriculture and the government should have a considered import and export policy that did not go against farmers.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Indian Farmer's and Trade Unions Protest against the EU India FTA
Indian Farmer's and Trade Unions Protest against the EU India FTA
 |
| Farmers and Trade Unions protest against the EU India FTA 27 Feb 2013, New Delhi |
Farmers and trade unions of India have been protesting against the undemocratic EU India free trade agreement. Over the last couple of months, the alliance of organizations called the Anti FTA front has written 872 letters to important officials, organizations and political parties including the Prime Minister and the Members of Parliament about this unfair trade deal. “There are serious impacts on food security, livelihood security of millions farmers and small retailers and farmers haven't even been informed nor consulted about the EU India FTA,” said Rakesh Tikait of Bhartiya Kisan Union a member of La Via Campesina. In fact no impact studies have been made available even to the Indian parliament or state governments, let alone the ordinary people of India whose lives are at stake. Ironically, the Indian government has left no stone unturned to show its urgency and deep commitment to European business making media statements about its plans to swiftly conclude the EU India FTA by March this year.
The Indian government has been secretly negotiating at least 56 such Free Trade Agreements. Developed countries like of the EU are resorting more and more to Bilateral Trade Agreements with individual developing countries because they want another way to push the same free trade agenda in agriculture that was rejected unanimously by developing countries at the World Trade Organization.
 |
| Protester at an earlier Anti EU India FTA Rally in Feb 2012 |
It is already well known that the benefits of the EU India FTA are skewed in the favor of the EU business. EU wants to raise the market share of its primary commodity exports to India, because India is a huge market, and growing fast. The profits for EU companies will be unlimited if they can dump their products in India and even better if they can permanently displace local farmers and producers. In the name of “free trade”, the EU wants India to cut all import duties to zero levels for atleast 92% of imports, but it will not alter its own massive subsidies to its agribusiness and farm sector, ensuring that they can continue to dump subsidized farm products in the Indian market. Indian farmers who don't have any such support cannot compete with EU agribusiness. Exports from India are also blocked by the EU based on other so called non tarriff barriers like phyto-sanitary and different quality evaluation standards. “They say that free trade is supposed to be trade between equals but such free trade pacts are on a completely unequal footing. They are ending the livelihoods of farmers in developing countries” said Yudhvir Singh of the Bhartiya Kisan Union and La Via Campesina.
Several sensitive agriculture sectors which employ millions are under threat. For instance, EU's dairy companies are eyeing India's dairy sector and complaining about India's high tarrifs. It is well known that the EU has an overproduction problem in the dairy sector and are looking to dump their surplus. Small farmers in both EU and India are under threat. European milk producers have been protesting against the artificially low prices that don’t fulfill even production costs due to high milk quotas. It is the industry that gains everywhere, they pay artificially low prices for the raw material, then they process and package it and charge high prices to the consumers. They also dump products in other countries, depress producer prices there, reduce incomes and eventually increase debt. India's dairy sector is mostly self sufficient and employs about 90 million people, a majority of whom are 75 million women. The Dairy sector is a lifeline for small and marginal farmers, landless poor and a significant source of income for millions of families. India has already made an excellent global example by creating a vibrant network of cooperative milk federations and women's groups in the dairy sector. Milk cooperatives like Amul and others are great models of inclusive development that give better bargaining power and fair prices to smallholders and women milk producers. But these gains are now threatened. “The Indian government is saying that dairy is in the negative list, which means tarrifs will not be reduced and our dairy sector will be protected. But this is nothing to celebrate because we know that the EU is lobbying hard to open our dairy sector and our current government which is obsessed with foreign investors cannot be trusted to protect farmers,” said S Kannaiyan of the South Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers movements.
 |
| 2012 Protest by Health groups and Farmers against EU India FTA |
The FTA also seeks better protection for European biotechnology companies in the form of stronger intellectual property rights. This will allow European biotech firms to sell their seeds in India at any price they wish, get royalties from Indian farmers, and deprive Indian farmers from saving or exchanging seeds as is usually the custom. Already Indian farmers are reeling in debt and suffering from the failure of expensive GMOs and unaffordable private seeds imposed in agriculture at the cost of our own local seeds and biodiversity. The Bt cotton belt has turned into a suicide belt, mainly due to debt and such FTAs will further push this tendency.
There are also plans to liberalize investment provisions, financial services and banking. This means that European banks and finance companies can enter the Indian market and also that investors from the EU will get preference including over resources like land, coastal areas and water rather than local people. Such provisions facilitate takeovers of farm land and conversion from food crops to export oriented cash crops. E.g. many EU countries with biofuel targets are looking at countries like India for assured feedstock. Foreign banks are not interested in providing services or credit to the poor and rural areas, which are already excluded from the formal banking system. At a time when countries across the world are reeling under a financial crisis caused by private banks, there is a serious need to regulate this sector rather than further liberalize and deregulate them.
The EU is also demanding for the liberalization of the retail sector, thus facilitating the entry of European agro-processing and retail gaints like Carrefour and Tesco who will threaten the livelihoods of small retailers and street vendors. “the entry of such retail giants will be terrible for farmers. They will monopolize the whole food chain from procurement to distribution. We will be at the mercy of such large companies as they will have the power to set prices and also will not be interested to buy small quantities from small producers,” said Nandini Jairam of the Karnataka farmers movement – KRRS.
 |
| Bhartiya Kisan Union Farmers at protest against EU India FTA in Feb 2012 |
The last thing Indian farmers or consumers need is another FTA. It will worsen the agrarian crisis and endanger our national ability to produce food. For e..g India used to be totally self sufficient in edible oil, now the government pays a very high edible oil import bill to foreign companies because it has pushed Indian oil producers and processors out of the market by allowing in cheap, subsidized and very unsustainable imports during earlier liberalization sprees. We know the environmental costs of the palm oil industry in South East Asia – they have razed down forests, driven endangered animals to death, and displaced local farmers. Imports of fish, tea, coffee, spices, and palm oil have led to drastic fall in domestic production and destruction of livelihoods. Farmers’ suicides have been high in regions growing some of these crops. By killing our farmers, our policies will also deprive the hungry from food. India already has the worst levels of hunger – half its children suffer from malnutrition and it is 67 out of 82 in the Global Hunder Index. Despite this the Indian Government is possessed by the spirits of liberalization and reforms. It is compromising the interests of Indian consumers, and local farmers who have more than enough capacity to feed the entire country with healthy, nutritious, locally produced food if supported by the right policies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)